~ Dispatches from Abu Dhabi

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Write

Oy, I’ve been embarrassingly negligent with my newbie blog! It’s a lot like that Christmas letter you always intend to write but want to commit loads of time to sit down and do it properly, and that time just never seems to come.

So enough excuses, here is a quick and dirty update.

They say what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. There was a time when I really thought my job would break me. And I’m not talking about 10 years ago at the start of my PR career, I mean the first 3-6 months after I landed in Dubai. It was by far the biggest challenge with the most difficult obstacles that I have ever had to overcome. However, through sheer determination (not to mention, a tad too much pride) I persevered and stuck it out to not only open the hotel, but stay on for 18 months and elevate it’s profile within the regional and international media.

Now I’ve signed up to do it again – this time in Abu Dhabi. I will be opening the largest hotel in the world for the brand; 447 hotel rooms, 85 villas, 11 restaurants…I could go on. It’s a monster project and I can hardly wait to get started! I will be living in Dubai and commuting to Abu Dhabi – it’s about 45 minutes to an hour each way. Tentative start date is April 1 (working on obtaining my visa) and the hotel is set to open later this Fall.

I had an opportunity to visit Abu Dhabi a couple of weeks ago and play tourist for an afternoon. One of the highlights was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The architecture was stunning and everything from the carpets to the chandeliers were breathtaking. It boasts one of the largest chandeliers in the world and all 7 chandeliers are made of Swarovski crystals, with a combined value of almost USD $10,000,000. Because it’s a mosque, modesty is of the utmost importance and women have to wear abaya and cover their hair. Personally, I’d love to wear the abaya every day – imagine, never having to worry about what to wear or doing your hair! It would save me an hour every day at least.

Ok, I’ve redeemed myself hopefully with this dispatch and promise to write more soon. Off to Goa for the weekend – yes, you can do that when it’s a 3-hour flight away – so will definitely have more updates.

WRITE ON Well done you, and very best on the next chapter of the adventure! Always knew you’d go far, just didn’t know you’d take it quite that literally. Walk by our little Toronto Riz every morning on my way to work and send a smile your way. The Montreal re-open looks like it will be fab this spring too.

What an amazing and exciting life you lead. Meeting so many people from all over the world. Never a dull moment in your life. How will you ever be able to come back to Canada and back to your first life. Look forward to hearing from you again and the best of luck in your next adventure. Love, Gedo and Dixie.